Easy charcoal grill tips for you to enjoy

Use these charcoal grill tips to make your next barbecue a success. Almost nothing beats a barbecue with family and friends on a brilliant summer weekend afternoon. And there is little to beat the taste of a well grilled steak. Here are a few things one can do in preparation to make the experience even tastier:

Remember to take safety precautions when around an open fire. Supervise children carefully.

Always choose good cuts from a reputable meat supplier and shop around for good prices. Many will supply cuts from certified organic source animals. Establish for yourself whether that includes the animals being free from antibiotic and growth hormone regimens.

Steaks can be marinated but many people prefer them ‘naked’. Your choice.

Butchers will often age their meat before selling it so ask whether that has been the case with the juicy piece you have your eye on. You want to know whether you have to do any more to it before grilling.

When using charcoal or wild bush wood heat the grill to very hot.

Keeping fresh lemon round the charcoal grill tips the flavour odds in your favour. Fresh lemon is an excellent grill cleaner and helps with marinating the meat, flavouring salads and grilled veggies and adds a zing to iced tea. You can even use fresh lemon juice not the lemon skin on a mild burn while you looking for the ice or burn gel. Lemon is biodegradable and safe in the outdoor camping environment.

For superb flavour it is best to marinate chicken overnight in a zip lock bag with lemon juice and fresh rosemary. Cook in an aluminium foil pocket.

Tip: wash the whole lemons before you cut them unless they are organic.

Grilling:

Place the steak on the hottest section of the grill and sear the meat for about thirty seconds. Turn it over using tongs to avoid burning your fingers or hands. Sear the second side for thirty seconds.

The steak should now be sealed so the juices will not run out. It will also be cooked rare for those who desire their steak to be red, and red hot and rocking.

Many will want theirs in a more medium to well done state. It is best to now use a cooler section of the grill, To ensure even cooking all the way through, grill for five to ten minutes.

Do you need it ‘done’ even more? If so, it is best to cook thoroughly and slowly at 180 Celsius in an oven. Cover the baking tray with aluminium foil to keep the steak moist and soft.

Grilled fish can be delicious. Use lemon and pineapple with herbs and spices to flavour the fish. Fresh fish is always best. Use luke warm water with sea salt to thaw frozen fish quickly.

Polenta blocks with parmesan cheese are a hit at any party and are easy to prepare. Cook the polenta while the polenta is still hot add the grated parmesan. Pour the mixture into a flat square pie dish. When the polenta is set, cut in to blocks. Then wrap in aluminium foil with a bit of butter added. Place on grid and grill for at least 10 minutes or till start going golden colour. Enjoy hot or cold.

If you are using charcoal you can prepare potatoes and onions by wrapping them separately in aluminium foil with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of herb salt. Remember to pierce the skin of the potatoes with a fork or knife. Soak and wash your potato in salt to clean the skin and shorten the cooking time. Place these directly into the hot coals just before adding the meat. For the real camping experience place the onions and potatoes straight into the coals without aluminium foil. Of course, you will need to peel them before you eat. Be prepared as this can be hot and messy! Start wrapping vegetables at the same time as the fire is being prepared about an hour before the coals are ready.

You can also make vegetable kebabs: use semi cooked corn, onions, butternut pieces, red or green peppers with some raw tomatoes cut into chunky pieces. Slide them onto skewer sticks and grill them over the coals until ready. Return to camping tips from charcoal grill tips Return to top 10 parenting tips page